Sunday, December 14, 2008

Torque


This weekend while I was driving, I recalled what we had learned about torque in class and how the steering wheel of a car has torque. Torque is a force that causes or opposes rotation. It causes angular acceleration and makes an object want to change its state of rotation. While turning, there is an axis of rotation and a force being applied by my hand. The radius of the wheel is the lever arm. By using torque, I am able to steer and turn the car in the direction I apply the force in. I never realized that torque is responsible for how I steer while driving. Physics is everywhere!

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